Is the theory of evolution a fairy tale, and what really is the value of "scientific interpretation"? Boundless knowledge does not seem to have brought us any closer to solutions for life's fundamental needs, argues Mark Buckle.
It seems to me that modern life is fraught with dire warnings of new things we should be afraid of.
I was very young in the '70s but still remember the "car-less days" my parents were made to observe to conserve fuel.
I can remember when coffee was bad for us.
But then experts stated that it had some benefits like preventing headaches and curing the shakes.
Do you remember when eggs were bad . . . but then the egg white was "OK"! Then, it was the yolk that was better, or have I got that around the wrong way? It's hard to keep up with the latest breakthroughs in knowledge.
We live in an age of unprecedented knowledge.
We are discovering new things every day.
Technology is advancing and everything useful is getting smaller and cheaper. We seem to be light years ahead of our not-so-distant ancestors who harboured all sorts of irrational fears and superstitions.
That's great . . . or it would be if we were any less afraid than our forebears!
It seems to me that our fears are amplified by our heightened knowledge.
For all the supposed answers, there are just as many fresh questions.
The apparent gains in knowing all this "stuff" don't seem to have brought us any closer to the solutions to life's fundamental needs.
The knowledge of "stuff" is stuffing us up.
On the other hand, knowledge of the Creator and sustainer creatively restores.
The Apostle Paul wrote hundreds of years ago to new believers in Rome that all of mankind was without excuse when it came to knowledge of the Creator.
He is evident in all He has made.
His handiwork is evidence of a designer.
But since, around Darwin's time, a convenient alternative to living according to Almighty God's requirements has gained momentum in academic circles and, in our schools and educational institutions, theory has been accepted conveniently as fact.
Scientific interpretation has been shown to be subject to personal agenda and is of questionable value.
Those so desperate to find an alternative to truth that has its origins in God have been deluded.
They have overlooked the fact that the evolutionary argument relies solely on "the theory" of millions and millions of years of accumulated "incidents" that caused slime to evolve into complex human beings.
Why is it that even children know that when a story begins with "Once upon a time a long, long time ago in a land far away", it is a fairy tale, but intelligent and developed human beings accept these theories and incidents as "the origins of species" and continue to speculate?
We are told that essential evidence of our human identity is in our DNA.
The fact that we share over 90% of our DNA with chimps leads some to conclude that we are relatives in the evolutionary process.
Someone pointed out to me that we also share 50% of our DNA with bananas.
I am no scientist and must be careful not to sound like one. But then, neither are most of you reading this.
But we have all "swallowed" huge piles of "facts" (so called) predicated on false original assumptions.
Those who would mock faith in creative design, despite all the evidence about us that we witness daily, ask us to believe without proven evidence or witness (whether it exists or not).
Of course, the same can apply to religious faith whenever "blind acceptance" is demanded by human authority figures.
True faith doesn't exist in a vacuum of reason.
It simply relies on a reason of greater comprehension than our own. Such faith inspires us to overcome the thought to be impossible and produces evidence in time.
I am a Christian pastor who is no expert.
However, life in "the school of hard knocks" and the observing of human nature in the lives of countless people from all walks of life, nationalities, cultures and religions has taught me something.
Personal and genuine faith in Jesus Christ is revolutionary.
It changes lives from the inside out.
It removes fear and gives the follower a more accurate perspective of life.
It restores hope and purpose and, most importantly, puts the believer in touch with their creator through a vital relationship, not via religious dogma.
True change is from the inside out.
Most change in the world, be it by legislation, education or fashion, is attempted from the outside in. This is even true of religion.
Only God comes alongside in our thoughts, emotions and choices and changes us from within.
If you want to change this world, first let God change you.
He is bigger than anything you will face.
Mark Buckle is pastor of Fernhill Church, City Rise.
